January 13, 2015 12:30pm ESTJanuary 12, 2015 5:07pm ESTEverything that Jerry Jones has done as GM to re-make the mediocre Cowboys could be unraveled if he doesn't re-sign his head coach, top assistants and stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray.Jerry Jones(Getty Images)

Yet, in his combined role as owner and GM, if Jones can’t bring back Jason Garrett, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, he risks losing all the ground he gained in the stunning turnaround of a season that ended with such heartbreak and controversy in Green Bay.

Even with those obstacles looming, Jones' resurgence was significant enough for him to pull out of last place and leave it all alone to ... Reggie McKenzie of the Raiders, No. 31 in Sporting News' preseason rankings. One other contender, the Jets' John Idzik, was fired, while Washington's Bruce Allen and Miami's Dennis Hickey had their positions watered down.

Going into this season, the Cowboys had won one playoff game since 1996 — six head coaches and numerous big-name players ago. This time, they likely came within one controversial call of playing in Seattle for a berth in the Super Bowl.

Garrett, the head coach who took them there and who Jones has championed since long before he actually gave him the job five years ago, worked the season as a lame duck, with he and Jones deciding not to negotiate during the season.

“I’m very complimentary of the coaching job we’ve done, starting with Jason,” Jones said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “He did just an outstanding job, and he’s my coach of the year. Having been part of what made him have that success is what he did with the coordinators (Bill Callahan and Rod Marinelli). They did a great job as well.

“In general, this staff is one that you’d like to keep going with a lot of other things influencing your ability to keep a staff together.”

Callahan, Marinelli and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan are have expiring contracts as well, and all would surely be in demand if they did not re-sign.

Yet none of them, even Garrett, will be the magnets for offseason attention that Bryant and Murray will be. A case can be made that both are the best players at their position in the NFL right now; both are first-team All-NFL and are just 26.

If either or both of them get away, Garrett’s job gets much harder, and his chance at repeating or sustaining this year’s success takes a severe plunge. This season’s 12-4 finish, remember, was his first winning season after three straight 8-8 marks.

Jones has previously said he’s willing to use the franchise tag on Bryant, whose contract talks in the past have been contentious. The tag for wide receivers is projected in one report as $12.71 million, and it could be higher, as last year’s figures were higher than projections.

The projected tag for running backs is $10.5 million. Murray led the NFL and set a franchise record with 1,845 yards.

The Cowboys are right at next year’s projected cap, so just keeping Bryant and Murray will take some major roster shuffling, much less retaining their other free agents and going shopping themselves.

Jones smartly built the NFL’s best offensive line, locked down an elite left tackle with Tyron Smith’s contract extension, saw a gamble on linebacker Rolando McClain pay off, narrowly avoided the potential disaster of drafting Johnny Manziel in the first round last spring, and got away with cutting Pro Bowl pass rusher DeMarcus Ware for cap reasons.

In the two decades since he and Jimmy Johnson split, Jones has never looked better in the job than he does right now.

But if he can’t keep this team together for next season and beyond, and it begins wallowing in mediocrity again, then he’ll have to answer that same question again: Why does this owner put up with the terrible job done by his general manager?